The Upper South Platte Water Conservancy District and GEGE Development Consulting
Last month I posted on the curiously autonomous, seldom scrutinized operations of water conservancy districts in Park County, entities that take a piece of the property tax pie. I titled that post “What’s up with the water.” Prominently featured in that post was Dave Wissel, current District 3 Park County Commissioner, President of the Upper South Platte Water Conservancy District (USPWCD), and Chairman of the Headwater Authority of the South Platte (HASP). His wife, Lillian is the USPWCD District Secretary.
Pretty much everything you may have wanted to know–statutory, personalities, requirements, etc.–is included in that prior post. It also provides a history of GEGE Development Consulting, the Wissel family business.
CRS 37-45-115 states, in part, “…(3) Each member of the [USPWCD] board shall receive as compensation for the member’s service such sum as shall be ordered by the court, not in excess of two thousand four hundred dollars per annum, payable monthly, and necessary traveling expenses actually expended while engaged in the performance of the member’s duties.”
Now comes the minutes of the March 2, 2023, monthly meeting of the USPWCD Board:
Okay. The Board is renewing Lillian Wissel’s, GEGE Development Consulting contract. It is unknown how long, for how many years or decades USPWCD has contracted with GEGE. But, here we have a monthly increase of $500 to a base compensation of $2,800 a month (interestingly they use the word “salary”), plus an hourly rate of $35.00, food preparation person to $15.00. And the word “receipts” are being changed to “invoice” throughout the contract.
It was noble of Dave Wissel to recuse himself from the vote. He is after all Lillian’s husband. And it’s notable that all “eyes” carried the day.
If Lillian Wissel is a member of the board–she most likely isn’t–her compensation should be, by statute, no more than $2,400 per annum, plus travel expenses. The same for her husband, Dave Wissel. But, as you see, as a contractor to the board, her company, GEGE Development Consulting will receive $33,600 annually as a base. It is unknown what the criteria are for charging an hourly rate in addition to the base rate. Nor is it known how many lunches, dinners, or brunches are prepared for the group or whomever.
I can find no web presence for GEGE Development Consulting, but a business entity search reveals: “GEGE Development Consulting is primarily engaged in Engineers – Consulting. GEGE Development Consulting operates in Colorado. This business establishment is involved in Engineers – Consulting as well as other possible related aspects and functions of Engineers – Consulting. In Fairplay GEGE Development Consulting maintains its local business operations and may possibly conduct other local business operations outside of Fairplay Colorado 80440 in additional operations related to Engineers – Consulting.”
So, the “food preparation” question must be asked in the context of what GEGE Development Consulting is apparently in business to provide. Food prep?
The other obvious questions are those that center on conflicts of interest. 1) Should a county commissioner also be the president of a water conservancy district, and the chairman of the district’s enterprise entity? All are funded with property tax monies. Do the best interests of the county ever conflict with the best interests of the water district?
2) Should the wife of the president of the board, also be the secretary of the board, and also a contractor to the board?
An important maxim for public figures is the appearance of a conflict of interest is just as bad, if not worse, than an actual conflict. (Of course, Dave Wissel doesn’t think so, as I wrote about in the prior post.)
A third question would obviously be just exactly what is encompassed by Lillian Wissel’s description as an “…administrative assistant, cook, waitress, and jack of all trades?” But, there seems to be very little interest in scrutinizing the activities, fiscal or otherwise, of water district entities in Park County. (Still trying to figure out the justification for the Center of Colorado Water Conservancy District spending almost all of its total revenues for 2022 to buy a building –almost 5,000 square feet–from their long-time administrator and recording secretary for $655,000.)
Looking at the USPWCD total revenues reported, (about $125,000) the vast majority of it from property tax mill levy proceeds, it appears the Wissels reap about 30% or more of those revenues, both as a board member(s?) and from the GEGE contract.
I’m lousy at math. I could be wrong. If I am, it seems appropriate that someone who knows better should correct me.
We, the People, I believe, have the right to know what in the world is going on in the curiously incestuous world of the county’s water conservancy entities. Right? It is after all our property taxes that fund them.
